LOVERS – WINNERS & LOSERS

By Brian Friel

Can love overcome all? Or are there always Winners and Losers?

By turns comic and bittersweet, Brian Friel’s Lovers is a play in two parts – he introduces us in the first part to his winners, 17 year old Joe and Mag, and in the second part to his losers, Andy and Hanna, whose love bloomed much later in life.

This play was written in 1967, in an Ireland whose identity was beginning to change, and yet was still firmly in the grip of the Catholic Church. Despite the long shadow of repression cast over these lovers, Friel breathes humour and humanity in to them. This play is full of heart and has much to say to us about the nature of love, and the nature of being Irish, even 50 years on.

This production marks the directorial debut of Artistic Director Julie Kelleher on the Everyman stage. She will lead a team of Cork’s finest actors and theatre creatives in the staging of what is unarguably a great classic from one of Ireland’s finest living playwrights. Beautiful sets, the finest acting, original live music and the powerful words of Brian Friel.

“The production values imbued by the Everyman team are exceptional, as her first production Ms. Kelleher should be very proud, both of the acting and the beautiful stage design. Friel designed the play to question who are the winners and losers in love; despite what you think, from what we saw, the audience are the victors in this production.” The Thin Air (Read full review HERE)